Plaza transforms into village in the city with Christmas in Kensington
Crowds gather at Christmas in Kensington in Calgary, Dec.23, 2023
The Christmas spirit was on full display at the new and improved Kensington Plaza Saturday afternoon.
A holiday celebration was staged to mark the 10th Christmas in Kensington and the official re-opening of the plaza.
The area underwent a series of upgrades this year.
Some of those include sculptured benches, new trees, additional bike racks and updated surfacing.
People in the area Saturday enjoyed hot chocolate by the fire, live music and horse-drawn carriage rides -- all free of charge.
“It’s such a community event,” said Kensington Business Improvement Area executive director Annie MacInnis. “Kensington truly is such a small village in the city, and we so appreciate that Calgarians have really embraced the “shop local” message.
“It has really helped businesses make it through this pandemic,” she added, “and for every one dollar you spend at a local business, you generate six dollars for our local Calgary economy. That’s our way out of this economic downturn.”
Kensington Plaza also now has enhanced lighting, utility upgrades and dedicated spaces for temporary features like fire pits and movable furniture.
Sunday, the Plaza Theatre is showing a trio of holiday classics, including Home Alone at 11 a.m., Love Actually – the 20th Anniversary edition at 1:30 p.m. and Die Hard at 4:15 p.m.
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